St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-06-25

The Mania for Brafding Dresses--A Girl
Who is just a Little Bit of Dog--How
to Choose Rug to Harmonic With Big
Feet-Beauties Behind Shop Counters.
There is mania for braid1ng dresses.
The surface of the cloth is sometimes
completely overrun with vines, leaves,
flowers and all sorts of geometrical de-
signs In an elevated railroad car sat
woman with broad back, on which was
a hundred yards or so of fine brier put
OH in the most intricate manner imagin-
able. Right behind her was an old fell
low whose gaze was fixed on this pat
tern. His brow slowly contracted, as
though the brain inside was getting into
puzzle, and then saw that he was men
tally following the outlines. At length,
with an air of complete abstraction, he
put his finger gently on point at what
might be called the periphery of one OF
the largest of the braided figures, and
moved it along between braids until
progress was stopped by cross section.
He began again, but with the same re-
suit A light broke in upon me. This
fashionable garment had carried him
back to his boyhood, and he was once
more trying to solve the problem of the
labyrinth-that is, endeavoring to find
the way to the centre of the design with
out crossing line. He didn't succeed,
because the woman felt him at 1t and
frowned him off.
Speaking of sensitive girls, how would
you feel if y,u were just little bit
dog? Now, that is precisely what hap
pened to girl in this city. Having lost
a section of the principal muscle from
one arm, surgeons of Bellevue Hospital
inserted the lacking material from New
foundland dog, patched up the wound,
made it heal and finally restored the arm
to usefulness. The girl was under the
influence of ether while the operation
was going on, and knowledge of its
nature was kept from her until cure was
complete Then the particulars were
given to her.
"You ask me what is, or may be, the
effect on the Imagination of the girl"
said the surgeon with whom l talked.
"Well, she happens to possess strong
nerves and general good health. She
seemed little shocked on learning that
there was canine annex to her arm,
and she was anxious, right off, to know
what sort of dog had contributed the
material He had been killed imme-
diately after the operation because it
would have left him badly MANNED. She
said she was sorry for that, as she would
like to have him to keep. She was de-
lighted to be told that he was fine spe-
cimen of his good natured, intelligent
breed; and she said she never would
have forgiven us if we had used spitz,
or bull dog or an ugly brute. A fash
ionable pug might have pleased her, yet
on the whole she thought she would
have chosen a Newfoundland if the
selection had been left to her. She is a
laundry girl, and probably not given to
the fine mental or physiological theories;
and so it is left to you professional
writers to speculate ON the effects of the
amalgamation. There are persons so
finicky that, every time they coughed
after piece of dog had been engrafted
into them, they would imagine that they
were barking, and death by imaginary hy-
drophobia would be possibility; but in
this case don't anticipate any trouble
of that Sort"
A New York damsel can be wonderful
in her attention to personal detail when
she puts her whole nina on it. For in
stance, frivolous young friend of mine
demanded q voice with the rest of the
family in the selection of carpet.
II don't care so much about the colors,'
said the girl, NOR whether we have regu-
lar carpet or rug and most of the pattern
may consist of small designs, if you like,
80 long as there are few figures in it of
oblong shape, and about eight by fourteen
inches in size. I really must insist on
those dimensions, and I want the out
lines distinct. Why am particular about
these points? Simply because my
feet are rather large. My knowledge of
art is sufficient to teach me that the eye
judges by comparison. If my foot is put
out for view or besides a figure in car
pet that is smaller than itself don't you
see that it shows for all its actual dimen-
sions but if it rests on distinct design
of three or four times its area, it is appar-
emily reduced. So our carpet must have
few big figures in it for my personal use.
AS soon as you have made the selection I
will know by the colors how to make my
purchases Of hosiery for the season. The
exactions of dress nowadays require
harmony of hues.
It is only in novels that high birth
gives arched insteps, taper fingers and
sensitive nostrils. In real life they are
impartially bestowed, thank Heaven.
The most perfect specimens of the style
of. beauty regarded as aristocratic are
found, so far as New York is concerned,
among the tenement-house population,
and they are usually young girls of Irish
parentage. While in their teens they
are often lovely and possess just the
archness and self-poise that characterize
the gentle FLOODED heroines of romance.
A wonderful collection Of such girls is
on exhibition in certain fashionable
millinery store. The establishment has
long been noted for the beauty OF its
clerks, but at the spring opening this
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